I learned that I can fire gas kilns like a champ. I had never done it by myself before, usually I just pick up our studio technician’s slack. Also, I’ve never had a reason to learn, as all of my neon colors are fired at much cooler temperatures and don’t require the carbon trapping (so I just fire them in an electric kiln, which is much more low maintenance). Ryan helped me reduce it the first time (cut off all the oxygen in the kiln to produce carbon, which gets into the glazes and changes them usually for the better – reduction is good) and did it really, really well.. we had completely black spy bricks right after (LOTS of carbon).

But the second time I reduced it, right near the end to even everything out, I did it by myself. By the time I was done setting speed records in a 10 hour firing, and figuring out all the rest of it with air and pressure, the thing was completely (almost perfectly) evenly heated on top and bottom despite a very loose top of the stack. When I unloaded it, yes, the reduction was gorgeous and all of our test tiles came out exactly like they were supposed to. Too bad I used every ugly glaze we have and none of the good ones. But ugly fits what I’m doing, so.

It was pretty amazing. Reduction how-to aside, I somehow already knew exactly what I was doing. And I really loved doing it, it was so exciting. Makes me want to make a bunch of pots. Or a bunch more poopy sculptures, anyway. I do know that I’ll be doing it again before my stint in the gallery.

Which brings me to the fact that.. I kind of took a mini-vacation these last two weeks because the studio’s not empty yet and I subsequently haven’t been able to do much (Kim can’t believe how spoiled I am – “why do you need the whole freakin’ space to do anything??”). I don’t care about people who know me and how I work and know not to bother me when I’m doing so.. but when I start pulling out all this interesting garbage and people who are very nice and always around but not usually “part of things” start asking me things about what I’m doing and how to do what they’re doing and getting into my peripheral vision, it’s like GOD GO AWAY. No matter how nice. And because I’m me, I tend to not try and hide that I’m not pleased.. but I really did this time, because like I said, nice guy.

So yeah, vacation. Which I think might end today, I had some good thoughts about how to put things together last night. We had some crazy times. Last night a bunch of us got on our bikes and did some scary shriner formations in the middle of the street before riding straight to the bar to see Ryan off to Washington. As Sophia put it, “it was 12 in the best way possible”.

I just bought my name.com for no reason. I don’t know what I’m going to do with it. I bought lingergookas when I was ridiculous (though some would say I still am), and I think I might want to be more professional at some point, but that idea might be overrated. Anyway, I have it. So if someday this blog doesn’t work, barring I didn’t get pissed off and delete it as I’ve done in the past, just switch the G and the L.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros??? One of those bands you keep hearing about and then forget as soon as you get to your computer.. but holy crap. I’m in love. I didn’t know Ima Robot was involved.

Wanna see what a 6 foot hexagonal deck looks like? It needs more boards filling it out, but I had cut enough angles for one day.